Ratchet wrench



Nov. 3; 1953 T. o. RUEB RATCHET WRENCH Filed Sept. 1l, 1952 Patented Nov. 3, 1953 RATCHET WRENCH v Theodore O. Rueb, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Sherman-Klove Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application September 11, 1952, Serial No. 308,977

4 Claims. (Cl. 81-63.2)

This invention relates to manually operable tools having handles for operating rotatable heads or driven members by means of ratchet and pawl mechanism constructed so that the rmovement of the driven member may be reversed or rotated in either direction by the vibrating movement of the handle. While my improved tool may be used for any suitable purposes, it is particularly intended for ratchet wrenches. The objects of this invention are to improve such wrenches generally and more particularly to provide parts which may be made in auto matic machines whereby the cost of manufacture is reduced and the complete wrench will be particularly strong and lasting in use.

Other objects are to provide simple and enicient means for. reversing the pawl; to provide a pawl reversing mechanism 'having an overthrow spring with means for actuating the same to cause the pawl .to be reversed.

Other objects and advantages will appear more fully from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on theline I.-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 4 is a detail similar to Fig. 1 showing vthe pawl in reverse position; and

Fig. 5 is a side View of the driven member.

The wrench f5 has a barrel or cylindrical head l provided with a handle 8 which may be formed integrally therewith or secured thereto in any desired manner. The barrel is provided interiorly with ratchet teeth 9 which are engaged by the teeth IG and II on the opposite ends or branches of a pawl I2 mounted in the driven member I3. This member fits in the central bore of the barrel I and is held therein at one end by an annular flange Iii extending inwardly from the outer periphery of the barrel. The driven member is removably held in operative position by means of a spring ring I5 which iits in grooves in the respective members in the usual manner. The driven member is provided with a projection I6 of the type commonly used for engagement with sockets or the like, or other tools to be actuated.

The driven member i3 has a transverse slot or opening Il therein which divides the same into a lower annular portion I8 and an upper annular portion I9 which are connected by an integrally formed eccentric post or bearing 20 which serves las a bearing or support for the pawl I2 which has .a circular recess 2l which fits against the post as best shown in Fig. 3. ri'he pawl l2 is of generally triangular shape with the bearing at one .side and the toothed projections at the opposite apexes, the arrangement being such that when the pawl is turned in one direction, the teeth l l will engage with the teeth 9 of the barrel and when the pawl is swung to its opposite position, the teeth Ill will engage with the teeth of the barrel.

The pawl is reversed by means of a button or thumbpiece 22 which extends outwardly through the opening in the end of the barrel and is held in position by means of a flange 23 which lits under the ange lf3 of the barrel. The outwardly projecting portion may be tapered and knurled for convenience in operation. The 1lange`23 engages with an annular shouldered recess 24 in the end of the driven member i3 so that it is rotatably held in operative position.

The pawl I2 is provided with a pin 25 which Iextends through an opening 26 in the upper iiange or section I9 of the driven member and engages with a hole 2i in one end of an overthrow operating or reversing lever 23 which is mounted in an annular recess 29 in the driven member I3 and which is pivoted at 35 to the driven member adjacent to its curved end as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The disc or thumbpiece 22 has a socket recess 3| for receiving the upwardly extending end of the pivot 3) which serves to limit the rotating movement of the thumbpiece. The thumbpiece has a downwardly extending pin or projection 32 which engages with the eye 33 at one end of an overthrow spring Sli of a peculiar shape best shown in Fig. 4. This spring has an outwardly curved portion 35 which rides or slides on the inside of the wall of the recess 29 and has an inwardly extending reversely curved end 36 which presses against the curved end of the reversing lever 28. it will be seen that when the spring is rotated by means of the pin 32 in the button or thumbpiece 22, to the position shown in Fig. l, its curved end will press against one side of the reversing lever and cause the free end to swing to the position to cause the teeth Il to operatively engage with the teeth of the driving member as shown in Fig. 3. When the button or thumbpiece is rotated clockwise as shown in Fig. 4, the curved end 36 of the spring will go past the dead center and press against the opposite side of the lever and cause it to swing the pawl so that the teeth Il) will operatively engage with the teeth in the driving member.

By constructing the driven member in the manner shown and described, it may be made on a suitable machine tool substantially in one operation so that the cost of the same will be greatly reduced and at the same time the integrally formed post makes a rigid and substantial construction and base for the pawl i2.

What I claim is:

1. A manually operable ratchet tool including a barrel having interior ratchet teeth, a driven member rotatably mounted in the barrel having a transverse slot dividing the same into two end portions, an eccentrically positioned bearing post in the slot connecting the two end portions, a pawl pivotally engaging said post and having oppositely disposed toothed projections for engagement with the teeth in the barrel, an overthrow lever pivotally mounted in the barrel with its free end in engagement with the pawl for swinging the pawl, a curved spring slidably mounted in the barrel and engaging With the inner wall thereof, one end of said spring being adapted to engage with the end of the lever to throw it to adjusted positions, a disc rotatably mounted in the barrel, and a pin projecting from the disc and engaging with the spring for sliding the spring.

2. In a ratchet device, the combination of a cylindrical head having internal peripheral teeth and having an inwardly extending flange at one end, a driven member rotatably mounted in the head and having Work-engaging means, said driven member having a transverse slot dividing the same into end portions, an eccentrically positioned integrally formed pivot in the slot extending between the end portions, a double ended pawl having its bearing on said pivot and adapted to coact with the teeth in the head for reversing the movement of the driven member, a pin projecting from the pawl through an opening in one oi the end portions, a sectoral shaped lever, a pin extending upwardly from the driven member through the curved end of the lever and forming a bearing therefor, the opposite end of the lever having a hole engaging with the pin in the pawl, a curved spring slidably mounted in the driven member which engages with the inner Wall of the driven member, a thumbpiece rotatably mounted in the driven member having a recess for receiving the pivot pin and limiting the movement of the disc, said disc having a pin projecting into an eye in the spring for sliding the same, said spring having a curved portion engaging with the curved portion of the lever for throwing the lever into opposite engaging positions.

3. A ratchet Wrench comprising a driving member, a driven member rotatably mounted in the driving member, and having a transverse slot therein, a double ended pawl pivotally mounted in the slot and having teeth in the opposite ends, an annular series of teeth in the driving member for engagement with the respective ends of the pawl, an annular recess in the end of the driven member a pin extending through an opening in the driving member into said recess, a sectoral lever having one end engaging With said pin, a pivot post extending from the driven member through an opening in the curved end of the sectoral lever, a at spring mounted in the recess and engaging with the inner wall of the driven member, one end of the spring having an eye therein and the other end being curved for engagement with the curved end of the lever for swinging the lever when the spring is moved, a thumbpiece rotatably mounted in the driving and the driven members, a pin on the thumbpiece engaging with the eye in the spring and having a recess tting over the pivot pin to limit the rotating movement of the thumbpiece.

4. In a device as per claim 3, a cylindrical driven member having a transverse slot therein dividing the same into end sections and having an integrally formed bearing post extending through the slot and connecting Said end secions.

THEODORE O. RUEB.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,155,268 Pettigrove Sept. 28, 1915 1,243,300 Jacoby Oct. 16, 1917 1,418,816 McCoy June 6, 1922 1,635,102 Watson July 5, 1927 1,854,513 Hummel Apr. 19, 1932 1,868,839 McNaught et al. July 26, 1932 2,427,153 Mossberg Sept. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,005,095 France Dec. 12, 1951 

